Virtual Laboratories as Effective Teaching Tools in Healthcare Education

Researchers from Tehran University of Medical Sciences have published a study examining the effectiveness of virtual and blended laboratories in healthcare student education. The study, which analyzed 21 articles from databases between 2000 and 2023, found that virtual laboratories have a significant impact on students' learning outcomes, particularly in the cognitive domain. The study's findings suggest that virtual laboratories can be used as an effective alternative or complementary tool to traditional teaching methods, enhancing the learning experience for healthcare students.

Key Takeaways:

• The study aimed to determine student assessment methods, identify content delivery methods, and evaluate the effectiveness of virtual or blended laboratories on healthcare student learning.
• Out of 1461 articles from different databases, 21 articles were eligible for inclusion in this review.
• In most studies, video formats (n = 18) were used to present content, and the method of content presentation in most laboratory studies was purely virtual (n = 14).
• The greatest impact of laboratories was in the cognitive domain, and the least impact was in the psychomotor domain (practical skills).
• Virtual laboratories are as effective as traditional methods and, in some cases, more effective compared to traditional teaching methods.
• The study recommends using virtual laboratories as an alternative or complementary tool for teaching laboratory sciences.
• The findings of this study have implications for the development of virtual and blended learning environments in healthcare education.

Statistics:

• 1461 articles were included in the review from different databases.
• 21 articles were eligible for inclusion in this review.
• 18 studies used video formats to present content.
• 14 studies used purely virtual content presentation methods.
• The cognitive domain showed the greatest impact of laboratories (n = 14), while the psychomotor domain showed the least impact (n = 4).

Sources:

• "Virtual or blended laboratories for healthcare students education: a systematized review." BMC Medical Education, 2025;25(1):1352.
• Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dept. of E-learning in Medical Education, Center of Excellence for E-learning in Medical Education, School of Medicine.